Continuous ventilator



Nov. 25, 1941. A, HERMAN ET AL CONTINUOUS VENTILATOR Filed Dec. 5,1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1941. A, HERMAN ET AL 2,253,846

CONTINUOUS VENTILATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheeh 2 www fozzze s Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES afa-63,846

CONTINUOUS VENTILATOR Abraham Herman and Joseph Herman, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 5, 1939, Serial No. 307,620

11 Claims.

Our invention relates to a type of ventilator designated in the art as continuous in that a plurality of ventilator dampers are arranged in a row or sequence and usually raised and lowered as to a single elongated damper or a group of dampers. This type of overhead ventilation is usually built on a roof and sometimes at the ridge of the roof.

f This type of continuous ventilator with dampers in which relatively vlarge vertical openings in a roof or similar structure are controlled by dampers which raise and lower and thus increase or decrease the distance between the damper and the periphery of the Ventilating openings require baiile or louver structures to prevent rain and snow blowing directly into the building underneath the damper and also to eliminate down-drafts but at the same time provide a sufficient space for the updraft of the heated and contaminated air from the building.

Many attempts and various constructions have been designed, patented and used in actual constructions to raise and lower the continuous type of dampers but many of these have numerous defects such as being quite complicated as to the particular mechanism employed, others use a system of levers and links, some of these operating on the toggle principle. Again, others have one or more cables extending longitudinally of the series of dampers which by a system of levers or lift rods or posts elevate the damper or dampers. Further, in some of the types of damper operating mechanism it is necessary to have the devices which are manipulated by hand or by power located below the dampers and 35 spaced along the building. This frequently requires so many of the manipulating structures that they interfere with machines and other equipment installed in the building underneath or adjacent the dampers.

A main object and characteristic of our invention is the provision of a cable lift for a single elongated damper and thus for the series of dampers extending longitudinally of the roof and forming what is designated in the trade as a continuous ventilator. A further feature of our invention resides in providing cables spaced longitudinally of a damper and preferably connected alternately on opposite sides of the center 15 ers are lowered.

Another characteristic and feature of our invention to facilitate operating all of the cables simultaneously is in the provision of a longitu dinally extending central shaft or elongated cable drum or winch, each of the series of cables connected to such shaft being spaced longitudinally thereof, hence as the shaft is rotated in one direction, all of the cables connected to such shaft and to a particular damper are wound in l0 and thus elevate the damper, this being done in such a manner as to prevent the damper from tilting sidewise or from having one end rise faster than the other end. Manifestly in the re-l verse rotation of the shaft the damper or damp- In our invention the shaft may be connected to raise and lower a series of dampers at one time.

As in this type of damper control there are many and manifest advantages of manual operation, a further feature of our invention relates to the mechanism for rotating the shaft, this comprising an elevated gear system with a driving gear operated by a depending chain having two drop lengths, one for elevating the damper and the other for retracting these downwardly. By a. suitable gear transmission connected to the chain pulley, the longitudinal shaft may be rotated in one direction or another.

As it is highly desirable to have a reliable damper closure operating in case of fire, our invention further comprehends equipment for automatically closing the series of dampers, this being released by a fusible link or similar device or devices when the temperature in the building reaches a pre-determined degree for a sufficient length of time. In View of the fact that the shaft for reeling the lift cables is in an elevated position and the cables for a manual manipulation extend downwardlyinto` the building, we

5 desirable to have a counterweight on'the chain used to raise the dampers to substantially bal-f ance the same. This makes the manual operation of opening and closing the dampers easier and further, the fire released dropweight is such or ridge of the damper. Thus as the cables lift as to overbalance the counterweight, start the or lower the damper, it is maintained in an even, that is, its proper horizontal position a1- though increasing or decreasing the vertical distance between the damper and the structure having the Ventilating opening.

shaft rotating in the direction to unwind the' cables and to continue this movement until the cables are unwound sufficiently to completely ventive features of the damper as to lits raising and lowering construction may be., used `with many types of roof and general ventilator assemblies. In the type of supporting and Ventilating structure the roof or the other portion 'of an building to be Ventilated by overhead ventilation is provided with a series of spaced transverse' bar members I.' I illustrated as 'having "a' central horizontal section 12. A sheet metal rain 'runoff/covering I3 is secured to this'structure'and illustrated as having opposite verticarwalls |4, a horizontal shoulder land vertical rim` I 6. A net or wire screening, ,l1 is stretched `across the opening vbetween the side Walls Ul being supported on the shoulderV l5. Also spaced longitudinally of the building there are uprightframe members `2,9 which may have a suitable contour and form the support for lateral sheet vmetal covering 2l, thisbeing carried sufficiently high to deflect the wind blowing across the roof and having sufcient `opening at the bottom for drainage of water, the blowing out :of snow or the -drainage of water from melted snow. Connected to the supports `2 0 we provide theA top framing construction 25 which is illustrated as having bar members 25 connected to the vertical supporte-N, .sloping members 21 and arhorizontaltop section 28. Also spacedlongitudinally of theroof construction there is a lowerfand secondary systemof bracesi having horizontal breee leere 3L` The defleetiee eres 35. formed ef vSheet ieetel gives e'e'everege. ever. tbese iframes 25 and 30 and a sufficient housing extending beyond the wdtn'of the'dampen l -Other non-moving and structural membersincludefafseries offver'tifcal posts 40, thesedbe'ing in` the'r'form vof rods which" are round in cross section a'nd 'secured by anupper'and'lower threaded "bolt 'connection rv4| tothe horizontal section l2 of the cross bar assembly ll. "These at Vtheir upper end 'haveja head 147,2' into which they are threaded andv this being secured to av U-shaped bearing center "43' of the vhorizontal cross member 28.` There are additional and shorter vertical supportingA posts or rods '4 5 s'ecured 'in a similar lor any Ysuitable 'mannerto the cross bars l2 shown in detail in Fig. 2', these extending upwardly and are secured in a threaded head 45 attached to and depending from the cross bar 3|, the purpose of this additional and lower support being dened'hereunder.

The continuous damper '50 'has a sheet metal' top 5I, two opposite downwardly extending skirts 52, the damper terminating at a transverse end 53 and having a rectangular opening 54 usually at approximately the center'of the damper for purposes hereunder defined. ATapering sleeves 55 surround and ride on certain of thesupporting posts 4 0.J A s such necks engage the topof 'the damper adjacent a circular opening, these damp-V eIS u SueHY here Sllieieut `tralesverse stiff-ness.

and are"n`iade"long in proportion to thev width 715',

"l'ollow shafts are connected to driven shafts 61 ""whch are :preferably solid cylindrical shafts Vfitted Ytherein and driven by a gear system here- .:.underdescribed The lifting cables have upperierids 'Il secured to the hollow shaft 66 in spaced relation 'f'as'shown in Fig. 2 and preferablyl have a drop section 'l2 which have a slope considered in a longitudinal direction and also outwardly as shgwnrinFig. and are connected withf'theflowerfends` connected .-torthe eyes '3 3 in` the damper` 5|,- ythese aeyes: being staggered and spaced apart on opposite sides of the center. The purpose of leaving the cables staggered and spaced apart and with 'the s lope Aas to the longitudinal center -isl that the winch c oilV 'M as the cables wind on the shaft will not cause'the over-I ride of the cable ontheturns or convolutions alreadywound on -the shaft. -Thus-in rotating the lshaft for Winding in thefcables these have e Substantially even Spacing- 'lengitudnel of the shaft without any over-ride and thus develop an even up-pull and drop for the damper. Thus an individual damper is raised and lowered without any lateral tilt, beth, of Ythe 4dreir-seeiens en opposite sidesv of the longitudinal center being evenly .lifted fend .ell 0f the. cables `from ene' end to the other of a damper beingraised and lowered egual distances in accordance with the rotabien Ofthesheft Y,

The power gear train equipment=torotate the shaft Y66 designated bythe assembly numeral -8'5 utilizes a chain pulley 86 located in aehousing 81 and supported byla bracket 88 vconnected-to the cross -bar"28 and having an upper journal clamp 89. LA chain S0 -operatesrover the pulley andhas a pull end drop section 9I'1with a certainnumber of large links SVZ'adjacent the end. 'Shecounterweight section 93 has a counterweight 94 mounted thereon, this counterweight being approximately sufcient to balance -the weight ofY the damper when it isl` lifted by the cables. The pulley has a bevel gear' 'connected theretomor formed integralf therewith land such bevel gear drives a complementary bevel gear 96 at right angles thereto, this latter being splined or otherwisek secured to the short shafts suchas stub shafts 46l which -`are connected' tothe tubular shaft 66, hence by thisl construction when'the pull end of ythe* chain 9| isfpulled -downwardly, the chain pulley is rotated, thus rotating Lthe gear systemand1the shaft assembly@ 6'! and `63V to raise the dampersusuch as from thevclosed and fullline positionhofFig 1 to the full :open and. dotted position ef.. Suehgure end. es .ebeve mentioned, thev counterwfeight `94 substantially balances the damper and thus retains itatany desired elevation and hence anyY desired damper erening.- Y

At each of the shortposts'd adjacent'the mounting of the power; gear train'vthere is a well l l foimed' in :the 3 statiori'aiy` ,structure -of the rentileter Ymmeeietelr 'belet' *he 'reeie'e'ful'ee opening 54 in thebdamp'er. Sucl-'i well has a"bo`t tom plate III supported on .the section I2 of the cross braces II. Such plate if desired may extend across and rest on the shoulders I5. Verticalend walls I I2 and side walls I|3 define the-well structure and these walls form supports or contact..

elements for the portions of the damper top 5| adjacent the opening 54. The purpose of having this opening 54 .in the damper and the wellis to permit the drop chains 9| and 93 for operating the pulley at the top to be brought into convenient position for operating. Therefore the bottom plate I I I is provided with a pair of open- .f

ings ||4 with a welded ring ||5 adjacent the rim of each opening, this ring giving a positive edge, Y

therefore the damper can be raised and lowered without the chains interfering with the motion of the damper. Y

At the ends of the damper one of the long posts 4|) has a secondary well |20. This is formed by a panel plate I2| at the bottom secured to the cross member I2 of the braces and may if desired be sup-ported at the outside by the shoulders I5. End transverse vertical walls |22 extend across the full width of the damper opening terminating at the vertical rims I6. The portions of the damper adjacent the end thus each rest on the transverse end walls |22. It will be seen that there is therefore a slight space between two adjacent dampers at the end. As each shaft 66 is intended to at least, control and open one-damper, these shafts terminate as indicated at |25 on a journal 43, thus two adjacent shafts are supported in journals at their ends by the post extending upwardly from the well |20. The shafts are also supported at all of theV intermediate posts 4D, there being a suicient number of these depending upon the necessary strength and rigidity required. As above mentioned, the sleeves 55 slide on the posts 40. They restrain lthe damper from tilting and also when the damper is in its lowermost position t over any lock nuts orthe like used in connection with these posts. The damper may be elevated until the necks contact the head 42 at the upper end of the posts 4U.

As above mentioned, our invention also includes the equipment for closing the individual dampers or series of dampers in case of fire. Such equipment designated by the assembly numeral |50 includes a metal chain |5| having a series of fusible links one of which is indicated at |52 with one end of the chain connected by a strap |53 to a xed structure. In the illustration this is attached to the lower end of one of the posts and preferably the post at the remote end of the damper where the equipment is to operate only one damper. The other end of the chain is attached to a fixed structure in a similar or other suitable manner. The chain passes through an eye |54 in a bracket |55 whichvis illustrated as connected to the lower end of the post 45 which forms the support and mounting for the pulley and gear driveequipment for the longitudinal shaft BS. A hook |55 lits loosely over the chain I5| and has a bolt |51 connected thereto with an assembly of weights |58 attached to the bolt. This allows building up of the total weight desired. Such assembly of weights has a perforation |59 extending vertically completely through the single or all of the weights of the assembly and through such perforation is fed the drop line of the drop chain 9|, the large links 92 being below the weight. These links are of such diameter that they cannot pass through or enter the perforation |59, hence when the damper is raised, the drop section9| risesas the counterweight 94 moves downwardly but` there is always a considerableA distance between the links 92 and the weight |58.

Hence,'if anyone of the fusible links |52 melts or fuses due to rise inftemperature occasioned for instance by a fire, such link-yields and thus destroys the supporting action and function of the chain |5I. This gives suflicient looseness to the chain so that it may readily pull through the .eye |54 if necessary and allows the weight |58 to suddenly drop. This strikes the large links 92 andl rides downwardly on the drop section 9|. The'weight with its momentum is sufcient to overcome the reaction of the counterbalance `,weight 94 and start and continue'the rotation of the chain pulley so that the shaft 66 rotates in the proper direction to unwind the cables allowing the damper to descend to the closed ventilator position.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. t

We claim:

1. A continuous ventilator including a stationary ventilator structure of a roof having an elongated upwardly facing ventilator opening combined with a damper shaped to t the opening and when resting on the ventilator structure form a closure, a shaft extending longitudinally above .the damper substantially the full length of said damper and mounted for rotation on the fixed part of the ventilator construction, a remote control means for rotating the shaft, a series of cables each connected to the shaft and each ,to the damper at spaced intervals longitudinally of the shaft and damper and alternately on opposite sides of the damper whereby a rotation of the shaft and the winding of the cables on and off the shaft, raises and lowers the damper.

2. A continuous ventilator in which a roof structure is provided with an upwardly facing opposite end of each cable having a single con- Y nection to the damper, the connections of the plurality of the cables to Ithe damper being alternately on opposite sides of such damper and lon.. gitudinally thereof, means to rotate the shaft for winding the -cable thereon or releasing the cable from the shaft to thereby raise or lower the damper relative to the ventilator opening.

V3. A continuous Ventilator in which a roof structure is provided with an upwardly facing ventilator opening combined with an elongated damper shaped to fit over said opening and when lowered to form a closure therewith, a rotatable shaft positioned above the axial center of the damper, a plurality of cab-les each connected to the shaft and spaced longitudinally thereof, the

. 'opposite end of each cable having a single connection to the damper, the connections of the plurality of cables to the damper being alternately on opposite sides of such damper and lon...

releasingv at "a: predetermined :temperaturesiandfry meansractuated b-yz'the movementof thewweight. to;.-operate the shaft rotating.: means toc rotate.

such shaftin a directiorrtoflower thedamper:

means tor rotate thefshaftto wind the cables on and off :such shaft for: raising and `loweringgthe` damper.

5. A'- continuous .ventilator including' a:l stationary ventilator structure-of Haroof havingan elongated upwardly facing' ventilator'. openingI combined with a damper shaped to nt `theiopening and when resting on the ventilator ,structure forming a closure, a shaft lextending t longitudinallyiabove the-damper and mountedI forV rotationon a fixed part of the-ventilatorstructure; aseries of cables connected' to the shaftfand lto the damper and spaced longitudinally of theshafty and damper and connecting' to opposite sides of the axial center of thefdamper, a chain:

pulley and gearconnection to .the-shaft with fa' dropchain. extending below the" damperv and meanson the drop'chain vtol counterbalancethe weight of the damper.

6;;A-` continuous ventilator inl. which-a roof.l structure. isprovided with an upwardly-facing.

ventilator ,opening lcombined. with a central wellI with perforations .for a Y*chain* in they bottomf thereof, a damper extendinglongitudinally ofvv theupwardly facing opening, said damper having .-anopening registering .with the well, a shaft above the damper, flexible means. forintercon necting 'fthe 'shaft and the damper ;to:.raiseand lower the damper -on rotationf of the shaft; a vro,

tation-means for the-shaft including: achain pulley vhaving drop. chains. extending. downward? lythroughthe opening in thedamper andfthe perforations. in the :bottom ofthe Well.

7. Aricontinuous ventilator in which a.roof f structure -is provided :withl an' upwardly facing ventilator opening combined with:-an..elongateddamper shaped .to t over said-openinggand when.l loweredto forma Vclosure therewith; a series `of vertical posts extendingiupwardlyfrom the said.'

roof structure, a shaft journalled -in the upper end of said posts,`a series of cablesattached to the-shaft and connected to the damper and posi tioned longitudinally thereof-and'means toro` tate the shaft whereby the 'damper 'is raised and lowered.

structure is.. provided with arrupwardlyfacing.;

ventilator opening vcombined .withfan elongated.V

damperv shaped to. fit over `said 'openingg and.

when lowered. to `forni a .closure therewith;- a

spasmes serieslofiverticalr.:posts extendingupwardly from i the'said roof `structure;ashaft .journalledin the'. upper-:..f'endzzof saidrsposts; a 4.series `of' cables attachedatoithe shaft and connected to vthe damper andpositioned dongitudinallygthereof and' means .v

to' rotate;the: shaft'whereby; the=damper is :raised and.` Vlowered;A ,ther-:damper havingA` openings with sleeves. theK-,postszextending :through the i opening andifsleevessandi they sleeves forming ai guide- ,orrv the ipost forzthe-ldamper.:

9;@ A; continuous ventilator. in f which a .l roof structureV issprovided rlwithnan upwardly facing v ventilator 1 yopening combinedY with an elongated dampersshapedsto. rest uponV .the roof structure attheyventilator openings. and .form a closure4 therefor, arotatable: shaft positioned above 'the x damper and extending substantially the full` length of.said;damper,z a series: of single cables each-'.connected :toithe: damper andI attachedI to said shaft atspacedintervalsnand alternately on opposite sides of theidampersfor winding on and off"thef,shafty to"thereby=.raisey andv lower the damper, ,and-@meansfforfrotating: said shaft.

10..\A@continuous-ventilator includingv a stationarygventilator structure ofva2 roof f havingan elongatedfzupwardly. facing Ventilator.' opening" combined` with a` damper shaped to t the openingv :andxwhen 'resting-fon the l'ventilator structureformingga closure;y a :shaft extending longitudinallyyabovethe damper and mounted for rotationK on a fixed-'part -of the `ventilator structure, a series-.of cables connected to the shaft and to thezdamperand ,spaced .longitudinally of the shaft f and. i damper and. connecting to opposite 4lsides-,offfthe axial centercf ithedamper, a pulley operatively connected, to the shaft and having a chainoperating- ,thereoverfwith at least one drop end, Vafweight'havingfaguide means through which the fdroprend of-the chain passes, the

xfchain inrotating the pulleyrotating the shaft' towind-.theicables on and ofthe-shaf-t for raising'andlowerigngythefdamper, a support for the Weight independent voff! and-entirely separate from thesaidchainand. having a fusible sus- .pension means-whereby ontV fusing f of -theY fusible means-f-therweight may2dropand;'means to interengagethe weight. with .the'dropjend of the chainr'rto rotatethefpulley and.A hence theshaft for closingthe;fdamperf.

11Inra device :as describedrhaving a shaft with-a mechanism .operated thereby 'on rotation` ofthe-shaft, afpulley having adrive connection for the shaft-a lchain operating over the lpulley andhavingat ileast one drop end, aweight provided. Withfla guide .-fmeansf-through which the' said` drop end cffthechaini extends, a suspension devicreffor` the vweight including I a flexible means separate'and-distinct from the. said chain and a fusible connection withy a fixed support whereby onwthefusingffofgtheffusiblemeans the said weightis releasedtoldrop and means toA interengagetheweight withthe said drop end of the chainafor rotating-,the .pulley and' hence the shaft.;

ABRAHAM HERMAN;

J OSEBH: HERMAN. f 

